Sermons 2010

John 1:14; 1Thessalonians 2:8-9
Incarnational means "to take on flesh." If missional means "to go," incarnation is about how you go and what people see as you go. It encompasses your posture, your tone, your motives, and your heart. Incarnation is critical because it will eventually determine whether or not people will want to know you or your God.

Isaiah 61:1-4
God’s promise of redemption and hope is our understanding of the word “Gospel.” It literally means “good news.” It brings us “beauty instead of ashes, gladness instead of mourning, praise instead of despair.”

1 Peter 4:8-10
In the community of Faith which is supposed to be incarnational, each of us have the decision everyday to be the “tangible kingdom” or in old language the body of Christ. Do we “love deeply?” Do we let our love cover a multitude of sins? Do we do it without grumbling? Do we use our strengths for each other in spite of our weaknesses? To fulfill the prayer “let them see thee in me”, do we have what it takes?

John 14:12
This week we talk about the difficult internal shifts required to see external Kingdom living displayed in tangible ways in our lives – Leaving, Listening, Living Among, Loving without strings. There is the decision to leave some of our comfortable habits in order to place ourselves in meaningful contact with those outside the Christian community. We wrestle with the “differentness” of others thoughts and actions and work at really “listening to their lives” without judgment. We make the decision to live among them versus cloistering ourselves away from them, and we love them (with actions) without strings. All this is an effort not to convert them, but at simply letting God’s kingdom be seen in us.

Luke 19:1-10
This week let one thought bless and unsettle you. People are watching. It is both a privilege and a responsibility to understand that to your children, your spouse, neighbors, co-workers, Starbuck Baristas and friends you have been hanging out with for years, your life is a book about people who are connected to God.

John 14:12
The ancient word “disciple” has been lost on us. Most Christians think the phrase “make disciples” means getting people to join the church. That is a sad deception. “Have apprentices” and “be an apprentice” is closer to our truth today. You and I are learning from Jesus and from more mature Christians. If we are doing it right, there will also be people learning to do what we do.

Although becoming an apprentice of Jesus is sometimes difficult as we seek to move out of old habits into new ones, what we will often find is that the new habits cooperate with longings and desires we have always had and perhaps struggled to express. In a way, our apprenticeship with Jesus is a journey to become who we already are - displayers of the glory of God. Apprenticing can involve learning new habits, techniques, and skill-building practices, but the goal is for all of that to support the intuitive and artful expression of the image of God that already exists within us.

Perish doesn't just mean die. It certainly is one of the meanings and maybe even the primary one... but it is also a state of being. Even the main bible translations see it differently. KJV and NRSV say perish, Jerusalem says lost, Today's English says die. The word actually means able to decompose (that fruit is perishable) to rot, weaken, or be numb or to go away. We would not like to be any of those things.

The 23rd Psalm has been for many Christians the anchor of faith.  This sermon will take it apart into its component parts to seek its richness and depth for the person's relationship to God.

Do Justice, love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God is one of simplest synopses of the Christian faith. What do each of these mean and how do I do them?

We are not much, yet God has entrusted us. "The essence of any religion lies solely in the answer to the question: why do I exist, and what is my relationship to the infinite universe that surrounds me? ... It is impossible for there to be a person with no religion (i.e. without any kind of relationship to the world) as it is for there to be a person without a heart. He may not know that he has a religion, just as a person may not know that he has a heart, but it is no more possible for a person to exist without religion than without a heart." (Leo Tolstoy, 1879)

James 1:17
The sermon will move through Genesis 1:15, 1:17, 1:29, 1:30, 9:3, 12:7 ending in James 1:17. I will talk about God gives us everything and trace that through the creation story ending with the statement in James "every good and perfect gift comes from the Father." I will then talk about giving back to return our love.

Luke 1:46-56
It is appropriate as we begin Advent to consider how we might find ourselves in the middle of what God is doing now. This season, perhaps even more than any other, it is easy to become too distracted or busy to notice what the Creator of the universe is up to. This Sunday we look at the discipline of paying attention and in doing so, we may discover the source of Mary's joy.

Luke 1:26-35
At Christmas we are especially looking for the break through between God and us. The lights, the smells, the sounds, the music, all bring us to what we all commonly call the “the Christmas Spirit.” The angelic break through of “peace on earth, good will to men and women” is something everyone of us need. How do we move out of the routine of eat, sleep, work, wash the dishes, pay the bills and do it all over again? How do we have a epiphany that gets us past the wounded nature of our human experience. The peppermint, pine cones and candles can transform us to spiritual beings if we let them.

Luke 2:8-20

 

Matthew 2:1-12
All through history in every culture and time there have been those who led us to look to the signs and stars. In every generation there is a ”young and fearless prophet” who like the sons of Issachar understands the signs of the times and knows what “Israel” should do. For us to become wise men and women, understand the times and know what to do would be the greatest Christmas present of all.

Revelation 21:5
As we face the new year, it is a tradition for Christians (and for our neighbors as well) to consider our lives. The Christian year does this in Lent. The Jewish new year does this from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur. The concept is to reflect upon ourselves annually.